1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector to be mounted on a device, particularly to a circuit board connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,910 discloses a circuit board connector with a housing that is fixed to a surface of a circuit board. The housing has a front end configured for receiving a mating connector. Fixing brackets are formed from a metal plate and are mounted in the housing. The circuit board connector is placed on the circuit board and the bottom ends of the fixing brackets are soldered to the circuit board to fix the connector to the circuit board.
The fixing brackets are inserted from above into mount grooves formed in opposite side surfaces of the housing and are mounted so that the plate surfaces thereof extend along the side surfaces of the housing. The width of upper ends of the fixing brackets in forward and backward directions exceeds the width of lower parts of the fixing brackets. The wide upper ends of the fixing brackets define engaging portions with bottom edges that bulge out in forward and backward directions. The bottom edges of the engaging portions contact restricting surfaces formed in the mount grooves to restrict downward displacement of the fixing brackets in the mount grooves of the housing.
The circuit board connector is used with a mating connector, and a wiring harness may be drawn out from the mating connector. The wiring harness may be shaken up and down during use of the circuit board connector, and forces resulting from such upward and downward shaking can be transmitted to the housing of the circuit board connector via the mating connector. An upward force to separate the housing from the circuit board may repeatedly act on the housing. Accordingly, to improve the durability of the circuit board connector, it is essential to improve durability against the separating forces.
In the construction described above, a separating force exerted on the housing urges the restricting surfaces of the housing against the engaging portions of the fixing brackets. The parts of the engaging portions that are contacted by the restricting surfaces are bottom edges of plate members. Thus, contact areas between the engaging portions and the restricting surfaces are not very large, and large stresses are generated on the contact surfaces by the contact of the engaging portions and the restricting surfaces. A circuit board connector capable of enduring use under a severe environment, such as vibration over a long time, must prevent the engaging portions and restricting surfaces from being damaged or broken by separating forces that act repeatedly on the housing.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide a connector to be mounted to or on a device having an improved durability against forces acting on a housing to separate the housing from the device.